New Delhi: Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) Saturday ended its agitation after central govt broadly accepted its three key demands.During the third round of talks that CJP’s representatives had with two Union ministers, it emerged that two demands — of withdrawing cases filed against protesters and compensating the families of the students who died by suicide after the NEET paper leak — would be met. At a joint news conference in the Constitution Club of India, CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka said: “We declare our protest as withdrawn. Please go home peacefully.” From the govt side, ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh were present.Earlier in the day, Dharmendra Pradhan, the education minister whose sacking the protesters had demanded, wrote on X that he had sent his resignation to the Prime Minister. The CJP duo, Ranka and Saurav Das, said the Centre had accepted all their demands and assured them that a written guarantee would be shared by Tuesday.
CJP Jantar Mantar Protest Updates
Addressing the protesters, Ranka said: “Today Pradhanji has given his resignation, which was our demand from the first day. This means our first demand has been met.”Das said the Centre had also agreed to withdraw the FIRs, including 20-30 cases in Delhi. “Withdrawal (of cases) will be held shortly… and no action on the CJP leadership or others will be taken (regarding this protest) in the future also,” he said.On the demand for Rs 1-crore compensation to each of the families of students who died by suicide, Ranka said govt had agreed to provide “the maximum possible (amount) as per the rules.”Das said the organisation had handed over a draft agreement to govt, incorporating all the commitments. “We have shared a draft with the govt which has the guarantees in writing on all these demands…. They have said they will share by Tuesday,” he said.CJP has also submitted a five-point charter on examination reforms, Das added. “In about four weeks, we will again meet govt to work on those together,” he said.Union minister Nadda said: “Overall, we have agreed to their demands.” On the compensation, he said, “We also have sympathy for the students who died by suicide….. We will give maximum possible as per rules and regulations.”Referring to the proposed reforms, he said govt would deliberate on the five-point charter and work with CJP. “I request you (CJP) to appeal to the protesters to end the agitation, and we all should move forward,” Nadda said.“On that note, CJP withdraws the agitation, in good faith and understanding that the agreed upon terms will be executed within the agreed upon timeline,” Das said.Soon after this announcement, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke shared a photograph of himself from Jantar Mantar holding the Constitution. “Thank you,” he wrote. The student-dominated outfit protested at Jantar Mantar for 37 days, each day attracting ever more numbers. The support also swelled after activist Sonam Wangchuk’s hunger strike started at Jantar Mantar, and after he was whisked away from the protest site by police. In a recognition of Wangchuk’s contribution, Dipke wrote a note.“Gandhian satyagraha awakened an entire nation. Fasting for 26 days for the youth of this country was a pure and supreme sacrifice. It will go down in history as the moral force that united us all against impossible odds. Words cannot fully express our thanks for your contributions. We love you and are endlessly grateful for your satyagraha,” he wrote on X.